NEWS
VSR DRIVERS TAKE THRILLING ENDURANCE VICTORY AT MONZA
Jun 22, 2025
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Italian GT Endurance, Monza - Italy
Pole-sitters Beretta, Frassineti and Testa fight back to take victory at Monza
The second round of the Italian GT Endurance Championship was held at Monza this weekend in stifling summer heat. Unchanged line-ups for VSR saw Michele Beretta, Andrea Frassineti and Rodrigo Testa racing the number 63 Pro class Lamborghini and Kevin Gilardoni, Mattia Michelotto and Ignazio Zanon behind the wheel of the number 66 Pro-Am car.
After three sessions of free practice, the last of which saw three red flags, it was time for qualifying on Saturday afternoon. The forty-one car grid was split into two groups and at the end of the six sessions the number 63 VSR Lamborghini of Beretta, Frassineti and Testa was in pole position. The sister car of Gilardoni, Michelotto and Zanon earned a place on the third row and was the fifth fastest Pro-Am car.
Beretta and Gilardoni took the start of the race but Tamburini got the jump on the VSR driver to take the lead. An excellent start from Gilardoni saw him up to second just ahead of the sister car. On lap eight the two VSR cars, running nose to tail, swapped positions and, immediately the quickest man on track, Beretta set off in pursuit of Tamburini. By lap twelve the gap was down to tenths of a second and then a clean and calculated pass saw Beretta move the 63 into the lead of the race. After half an hour of racing Beretta pitted for fuel and tyres and to give the race leading car to Frassineti. Two laps later and Gilardoni was in from third overall, Zanon taking over for the second stint. A Full Course Yellow midway through the second stint to retrieve Fiorenzi from the gravel became a Safety Car just as the second pit window opened. Racing resumed midway through the window and Zanon pitted immediately for Michelotto who took to the track with a new set of Pirellis on his Lamborghini. Frassineti pitted just as the window closed and Testa jumped in the 63. After the chaotic management of the Full Course Yellow and subsequent Safety Car the VSR cars found themselves a lap down, the eight cars ahead of them on track the eight cars which had been able to pit under Safety Car as soon as the window opened.
On lap forty-two a puncture for Michelotto left the Italian limping back to the pits. Zanon took over as the race reached the halfway point but the 66 had fallen back to tenth in class. Testa’s stop for Frassineti coincided with another Full Course Yellow which allowed the 63 to regain the leading lap but at the back of the pack. When the Safety Car released the cars on lap fifty there were seventy minutes of the race remaining. A Drive Through Penalty for Guerra for not respecting the Full Course Yellow Procedure allowed Frassineti to gain a place as Zanon pitted the 66 for Michelotto. Two laps later Frassineti came in to give the 63 to Testa for his final stint of the race. With forty-five minutes left to go Testa passed Croccolino for fifth and closed the gap to the leader to nineteen seconds. On lap sixty-two Michelotto, the fastest man on track, got a lap back and moved into ninth in class and four tours later Testa took fourth from Ponzio’s Ferrari. On lap seventy-three Michelotto pitted the Pro-Am car for the final time and Gilardoni got on board for the run to the flag. Testa stopped just as the window closed and Beretta took over the 63. Coming out of the pits he took advantage of a clash between the two Ferrari’s ahead of him to move up into third place, just half a second behind Vidales in second. With twenty minutes on the clock Beretta made his move, taking the 63 into second place and the gap to leader Cantu to five seconds. Two laps later Cantu suffered a blow out and his race ended in the gravel. The Safety Car was called out for the recovery and racing resumed with five minutes left on the clock. A perfect restart left Beretta with a clear track ahead of him for the final three laps and he took the chequered flag in first place. Gilardoni completed a charging comeback for the 66 car, claiming seventh in Pro-Am at the flag.
The Italian GT continues next month with round two of the Sprint Championship at Mugello.
2025 Italian GT Endurance Calendar
Round 1 Misano, Italy 3-4 May
Round 2 Monza, Italy 21-22 June
Round 3 Imola, Italy 2-3 August
Round 4 Mugello, Italy 13-14 September
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